A restraint device of this type is known from DE 10 2006 017 627 B4. The known restraint device has as its flexible planar structure a partition net which is held windably and unwindably in a cassette housing on a winding shaft. The winding shaft is rotatably mounted inside the cassette housing. The cassette housing extends in the assembled operating state over the width of a luggage compartment in the vehicle transverse direction and is arranged fixed to the vehicle behind a backrest arrangement of a bench-type rear seat. The partition net has at its end area in front in the pulling-out direction a dimensionally stable pulling-out section provided at opposite ends with securing sections which comprise mushroom-shaped suspension hooks. The pulling-out section can be fixed in the extended function position of the partition net in roof-side holders by its opposite securing sections. A lifting unit is provided to pull the pulling-out section and the partition net upwards from the rest position stowed in the cassette housing and to transfer it into the extended function position in which the securing sections of the pulling-out section are fixed in the roof-side holders. The lifting unit is also intended to return the pulling-out section and the partition net from the extended function position back into the rest position stowed in the cassette housing.
The object of the invention is to provide a restraint device of the type mentioned at the outset that has a structure simplified in comparison with the prior art.
This object is achieved in that the at least one roof-side holder comprises a stationary receptacle and a locking pawl arrangement which is mechanically matched to a movement distance of the at least one securing section during transfer from the rest position to the function position in such a way that during its upward travel the securing section presses the locking pawl arrangement into the release position, the securing section enters the receptacle and the locking pawl arrangement automatically moves back into its locking position as soon as the securing section has entered the receptacle. The solution in accordance with the invention can operate purely mechanically, without the need for drive units that have to be operated with electric, pneumatic or hydraulic energy sources. The automatic return movement of the locking pawl arrangement from a release position to the locking position is achieved either by gravity or by mechanical spring loading, which presses the locking pawl arrangement back into the locking position after forcing past the securing section of the pulling-out section. The locking pawl arrangement is preferably swivelably mounted, but can also be guided in linear-movable manner. To automatically move the locking pawl arrangement in the direction of its release position during an upward lifting movement of the securing section of the pulling-out section, corresponding forcible guidance surfaces in the form of angled contact surfaces or the like are provided in the area of the locking pawl arrangement and/or in the area of the securing section and in the event of mechanical contact of the securing section with the locking pawl arrangement press the latter aside. The result is a dependable function for locking of the at least one securing section in the at least one roof-side holder, which maintains the locked function position regardless of any failure of drive sources, such as in particular failure of the electrical system.
In an embodiment of the invention, two roof-side holders are provided spaced apart from one another in the vehicle transverse direction and each have a securing section of the pulling-out section assigned to them. The term “roof-side holders” covers all holders positioned in or near a roof area of the vehicle interior. The term “roof-side holders” is intended to encompass in particular holders which are arranged fixed to the vehicle in its interior in such a way that when pulling-out sections are anchored in the roof-side holders, the flexible planar structure is in its extended function position, in which it separates a luggage compartment from a passenger area inside the vehicle interior. A segmenting device which separates one partial area of a luggage compartment from another partial area can also be provided as a restraint device for a luggage compartment. Here too the flexible planar structure is—as is the case in luggage compartment separation from the passenger area—extended approximately vertically in the vehicle vertical direction and detachably fixed in the extended function position in holders which are closer to a roof-side or floor-side limiting surface of the vehicle interior than a supporting structure in which the flexible planar structure is received in its stowed rest position. It is also possible in accordance with the invention to arrange a corresponding supporting structure in a roof area of the vehicle interior and to pull out the flexible planar structure from above and approximately vertically downwards in order to detachably fix it in corresponding holders. In this case, holders on the inner side and assigned to an opposite floor-side limiting surface of the vehicle interior are also covered by the term “roof-side holders”.
In a further embodiment of the invention, a lifting mechanism is provided which is assigned a drive unit for moving the lifting mechanism upwards out of a lower parked position in the area of the supporting structure. The lifting mechanism is used to transfer the pulling-out section and the flexible planar structure from the rest position stowed in the area of the supporting structure to the extended function position and to insert the pulling-out section with its securing sections into the roof-side holders. After the automatic locking of the securing sections by the locking pawl arrangement in the area of each roof-side holder, the lifting mechanism can be lowered back into its lower parked position in the area of the supporting structure.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the lifting mechanism comprises at least one lifting arm arrangement and one lifting section supported by the lifting arm arrangement and comprising drivers to pick up and lift the pulling-out section. The lifting section is held approximately parallel over a lifting distance of the lifting mechanism, so that the pulling-out section of the flexible planar structure picked up by the lifting section is also transferred upwards and substantially parallel to the function position. This ensures that the pulling-out section with its opposite securing sections enters both roof-side holders at the same time.
In a further embodiment of the invention, means are provided for releasing the locking position of the locking pawl arrangement. This releases a lower opening of each receptacle of each roof-side holder, so that the securing sections of the pulling-out section automatically slide downwards out of the receptacles of the roof-side holders under their dead weight. A winding shaft rotatably mounted in the supporting structure can be subjected to torque in the winding direction by a return spring and wind on the flexible planar structure under spring force as soon as the securing sections in the area of the roof-side holders are released. Instead of a simple dropping out of the pulling-out section due to gravity, the lifting mechanism can also assist the unlocking and lowering operation of the pulling-out section. To do so, the lifting section of the lifting mechanism picks up the pulling-out section in its extended function position inside the roof-side holders from underneath and presses the pulling-out section further upwards in order to end the contact between the securing sections of the pulling-out section and the locking pawl arrangements, and thereby release the locking pawl arrangements for swiveling them into the release position. Then the lifting mechanism including its lifting section can be lowered in simple manner, with the pulling-out section supported by the lifting section also being automatically lowered.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the locking pawl arrangement is assigned a sensor unit, which detects a contact of the securing section of the pulling-out section with the locking pawl arrangement in the locked securing position of the pulling-out section and which is connected to a control unit for operating the locking pawl arrangement for an unlocking operation. This ensures that the locking pawl arrangement is transferred from the locking position to the unlocked position, i.e. the release position, as soon as the respective securing section of the pulling-out section is lifted off the locking pawl arrangement.
In a further embodiment of the invention, each locking pawl arrangement is assigned a drive element for transferring the locking pawl arrangement from the locking position to the release position, which element can be actuated by the control unit. The drive element is preferably an electric drive motor. A pneumatic or hydraulic element can also be provided as the drive element. The drive element is used exclusively for transferring the locking pawl arrangement, in the locked state of the corresponding securing section of the pulling-out section, from the locking position to the release position. As long as no securing section of the pulling-out section is received in the receptacle of the respective roof-side holder, the drive element is not operative. This is because for a transfer of the locking pawl arrangement during movement of the pulling-out section from below in order to transfer the planar structure from the rest position to the extended function position, the locking pawl arrangement is opened mechanically by the securing section making contact from below.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the control unit is connected to the drive unit for the lifting mechanism in order to lift the lifting mechanism out of the parked position and move it upwards. The control unit can also be provided to actuate the drive unit of the lifting mechanism in order to raise the pulling-out section in the locked function position inside the roof-side holders and to subsequently lower it in the direction of the rest position stowed in the area of the supporting structure.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the lifting mechanism is mounted on the supporting structure, and sensor means connected to the control unit are provided for detection of a vehicle-fixed operating position of the supporting structure. The detection of vehicle-fixed anchoring of the supporting structure ensures that the supporting structure is fastened in crash-proof manner inside the vehicle interior before the flexible planar structure is transferred to its extended function position.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the control unit operates the drive unit for the lifting mechanism depending on the recorded signals of the sensor means relating to the operating position of the supporting structure. As soon as the control unit has detected that the supporting structure is anchored in crash-proof manner in the vehicle interior, the flexible planar structure can be transferred to its function position or then moved back from the function position to the rest position.